This homemade sriracha sauce recipe is more like the original Thai recipe, so much better than anything from the grocery store, and can be made with fresh or fermented peppers. Time to make sriracha hot sauce!
Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe
It's Homemade Sriracha Sauce time, my friends, so get your taste buds ready. I don't think there is a whole lot I can tell you about sriracha sauce that you haven't already heard.
Sriracha has taken the nation by storm in the last several years, overflowing from grocery store shelves and finding its way into a myriad of mass-made products, from potato chips to beer.
It's everywhere, isn't it?
It's so ubiquitous now here in the states, it's practically become synonymous with the term "hot sauce". This is not a bad thing! I should provide a bit of history, though.
What is Sriracha?
Famous “Sriracha” sauce is named after the town of “Sri Racha” in Thailand where it originated, but this is not what we consume here in the United States.
The stuff you get from the store is produced in California with red jalapeno peppers and has deviated quite a bit from the original Thai recipe.
The sriracha sauce we get here is thick, like ketchup, where the original has a thinner consistency.
My recipe will produce a Sriracha sauce closer to what was originally intended, though you can easily thicken it up with more peppers and less vinegar, or by adjusting your cooking times.
Best Peppers for Making Sriracha Sauce
Here in the United States, red jalapeno peppers are used to make sriracha sauce, though bright red Fresno chili peppers make a fine substitute. You can also use red Thai chili peppers to make your own sriracha hot sauce, which have more heat on the Scoville Scale.
Of course the heat level of your sriracha sauce can vary based on your pepper choice, but some peppers have thicker walls and are therefore meatier, and will produce a fuller sauce.
I suggest going with red jalapeno peppers first, then experimenting from there.
For this particular batch, I used a combination of different hot red peppers grown in my garden, including red jalapeno peppers, and the results were out of this world.
Let's talk about how to make homemade sriracha, shall we?
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 1/13/25 to include new notes and clarify instructions. It was originally published on 10/6/17.
Sriracha Sauce Ingredients
- Chili Peppers. Use a mix of red chili peppers, Red jalapenos are preferred, though Fresnos or red Thai peppers are great.
- Garlic. I love the garlic flavor. Garlic powder can be used, but fresh garlic is best.
- Brown Sugar. For the characteristic sweetness.
- Granulated Sugar. Additional sweetness.
- Rice Wine Vinegar. Other distilled vinegar can be used.
- Water and Salt.
How to Make Sriracha Sauce - the Recipe Method
Chop the Peppers. Roughly chop the chili peppers and add them to a pot with the remaining ingredients - sugar, salt, vinegar, garlic, water.
Simmer the Ingredients. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Process the Sriracha Sauce. Cool, then add to a food processor. Process until smooth.
Strain and Bottle. Strain the solids out through a strainer and discard (or keep them for dehydrating – they make great seasonings). Pour into bottles and use as desired.
This is the simple fresh pepper version, though I suggest fermenting, which is more like the original Thai sriracha.
Fermenting the peppers breaks down the carbohydrates and converts them to acid, which mellows the peppers considerably, affecting the overall flavor. I suggest trying the recipe both ways, with and without fermenting, and see for yourself which version of sriracha you prefer.
I've include recipes below to make sriracha both ways.
For your reference, you may find this link useful: How to Make Fermented Pepper Mash.
Homemade Sriracha Vs. Store Bought Sriracha Sauce
There is an obvious difference between the sriracha you get from the store vs. your homemade version. The homemade sriracha has a thinner consistency and isn't quite as sweet, though you can adjust sweetness easily by adding more or less sugar.
You can also adjust the thickness of your final sriracha sauce by adjusting the amount of peppers used in the recipe, by adjusting the amount of vinegar and water used, and also by adjusting your cooking time. Simmer the sauce longer to thicken it up if you'd like.
The choice is yours. Would I say homemade sriracha is BETTER than what you get in the store?
Personally, I like my own homemade version better, but I wouldn't throw away my bottle of Huy Fong Food's rooster sauce! I mean, major KUDOS to David Tran for giving us a sauce that made Americans realize there is more to condiments than ketchup and mustard.
Bring on the sriracha, please!
What is a Substitute for Sriracha Sauce?
If you run out of sauce and need a good siracha sauce substitute, you can use Garlic-Chili Sauce, or consider using Gochujang, Sambal Oelek, or making your own fresh chili paste.
Harissa could work in a pinch, but you can always use a Louisiana Style Hot Sauce in place of the sriracha, depending on the recipe.
Recipe Tips and Notes for Making Homemade Sriracha
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:
How long will this sauce keep?
It should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 4.0 or so, to account for errors.
If you're concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. Sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.
The best ph meters that I recommend are from Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today. I am a happy affiliate.
Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage? Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.
Where'd you get that sauce bottle?
I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack.
Learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
Check out Some of My Other Popular Hot Sauce Recipes:
- Homemade Tabasco Sauce
- Fermented Aji-Garlic Hot Sauce
- Fermented Serrano Hot Sauce
- Sweet Habanero Chili Sauce
- Pineapple-Jalapeno Hot Sauce
- Ti-Malice - Haitian Creole Hot Sauce
- Caribbean Style Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
- Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Homemade Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce
- Sweet Pepper Chili Sauce
- Homemade Louisiana Hot Sauce
- Homemade Cocktail Sauce
- Honey-Sriracha Sauce
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes.
Try Some of these Recipes that Use Sriracha
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
FOR FERMENTED SRIRACHA SAUCE
- 2 pounds mixed red chili peppers (red jalapenos are preferred, though Fresnos or red Thai peppers are great)
- 4 cups unchlorinated water
- 3 tablespoons sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
SRIRACHA SAUCE WITH FRESH PEPPERS
- 2 pounds mixed red chili peppers (red jalapenos are preferred, though Fresnos or red Thai peppers are great)
- 1/2-4 cups unchlorinated water (Use only 1/2 cup for a thicker sriracha sauce. Use 4 cups for a much thinner sriracha, which is more traditional)
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
Instructions
FERMENTED SRIRACHA SAUCE
- First, ferment the chili peppers. Process your fresh peppers in a food processor. If you don’t have a processor, use a mortar and pestle or simply finely chop them. Pack them into a jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
- Next, mix 1 quart unchlorinated water with 3 tablespoons sea salt. Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go. It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
- Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F. The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases - watch out for splatter. Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. The peppers must be submerged beneath the water to avoid mold growth. If the peppers aren't submerged, they might not ferment properly.
- After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic.
- Strain the fermented peppers but retain the brine. Add the peppers to a large pot along with garlic, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vinegar. Add 1 cup of the brine PLUS 1/2-3 cups fresh water, depending on desired thickness (see Notes). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Cool slightly then add to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the solids, if desired. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy.
SRIRACHA SAUCE WITH FRESH PEPPERS
- Roughly chop the chili peppers and add them to a pot with the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cool, then add to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Strain the solids out through a fine mesh strainer, if desired, and discard (or keep them for dehydrating – they make great seasonings). Pour into bottles and use as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Tighe Matthew Brazeau says
I just have a question. I am making this...so far so good. I was wondering if I can make a batch that is much less hot for my other half by combining bell peppers with the chilli peppers. My significant other has a really low spicy threshold compared to mine but I still want him to have his own bottle as he likes the flavor just not the heat. Any suggestions,? Thanks.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Tighe, absolutely. This recipe will work with any chili peppers. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Ryan says
Hi!
This recipe looks great, I’ve just received a big batch of jalapeños in the mail and want to get started very soon! My friend has used your recipes and told me they make brilliant sauce!
I have a question, can I ferment the garlic in with the chillies and maybe a red onion too?
Thanks
Ryan
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Ryan. Yes, you can ferment the garlic and onions as well. Let me know how it goes for you.
Kevin says
Hello again Michael,
Sorry for all the individual comments, for some reason replying to an existing message isn't working for me. I had a couple quick questions. This is my first time fermenting and I'm just doing a small batch of Thai chilis I had on had as a test run. After the first day, I had a red film floating on the top, I think it may have been pulp from the mashed up peppers. Also, maybe I mashed them too much, but my brine even took on a red tint. Now on day two, the water level seems to have lowered and the surface is just about at the top of the mash a d some of the lighter pieces seem to be floating up. Is this okay? Or should I add a water bag to weigh the mash down? Add more brine?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kevin, it sounds like pulp to me. Yes, use a water bag or something else to weight the mash down to keep it under the brine. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy.
Kevin says
That makes perfect sense, Michael. Thanks again for you speedy replies!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Please let me know how it turns out for you, Kevin. I'd love to hear. I hope you enjoy it!! It's one of my favorite recipes. Need to make another batch!
Kevin says
Thank you for your reply, Michael. But I'm a bit confused. You said to used 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of peppers, bu the original recipe says to use 3 tablespoons for 2 pounds of peppers. That's a big difference. If I am cutting down this original recipe, should I reduce the measurements in the posted recipe or ignore the original instructions and just use 1 teaspoon per pound of pepper?
Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kevin, probably the best way for you to achieve the results of my shared recipe is to follow the recipe as-is. Make the same amount of brine per the recipe. Then, add your chopped peppers (no matter what amount) into your jar (or whatever vessel you are using), then cover completely with brine. You can keep or discard any excess brine. The main thing is to make sure the peppers are covered in brine. Obviously feel free to calculate salt amount vs. water for less brine. The "1 teaspoon salt/pound" is a lower percentage brine solution that will still work, but again, follow the recipe unless you are concerned about saltiness in the final result. Next, ferment the peppers per instructions. When completed, you can process it all together per the recipe, or you can drain the brine and process the peppers in a food processor with fresh water and a bit of salt to your taste. I hope this is clear.
Kevin says
Hello Michael,
Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes. I saw above you told someone that the salt level is important for fermentation. I have some left of chilis and was going to make a small batch of this just to test it out. So I was wondering, if when I cut this recipe down, do I also reduce the amount of salt or do I keep the salt the same for the fermentation process?
Thank you so much!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kevin, yes, it's really a percentage of salt for the brine solution. You should use 1 teaspoon salt (5.69 g) per pound (.45 kg) of peppers. 1 pound of peppers should process down to about 1 cup (220 g, or 7.75 ounces) of mash. So, use 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of mash, which is roughly 2.3% salt by weight. Check out my page on How to Ferment Peppers for more info: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-make-fermented-pepper-mash/
Rebecca says
Id love to try the non fermented recipe but I dont see your recipe for the non fermented siracha sauce. Am I missing it?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Rebecca, just skip the fermenting steps and add everything to the pot. However, use only 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, then process and use per the recipe. Let me know how it goes. Use this recipe as a model as well - Homemade Louisiana Style Hot Sauce (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/hot-sauces/homemade-louisiana-hot-sauce/) or Homemade Tabasco Hot Sauce (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/tabasco-sauce/).
Joey says
Hello Mike,
Now I'm thinking that I'd like to try bottling your sriracha recipe. I'm starting on making the mash now. I do a lot canning for jams but I've never bottled hot sauce. At the end of your recipe it says, "You can also bottle your sauces with proper procedures." Can you give the details of these procedures, or point to where I can find them? Thanks.
You rock, man!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Joey. Check out this page for Canning and Jarring Chili Peppers, which can be applied to hot sauce. Enjoy! https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/canning-or-jarring-chili-peppers/
Nabeelah says
Can you use an alternative to rice wine vinegar?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nabeelah, yes, you can use other vinegars instead.
Joey says
Hi Mike,
Your website and recipes are amazing. I especially love all the info you give on pepper varieties. My question is: Can the finished bottles be placed in the freezer without a loss of quality?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Joey. Yes, you can freeze sauces. However, I would use containers made for the freezer, not bottles, and I wouldn't freeze the sauce for more than a couple months. Let me know how it goes for you.
Scott Haymaker says
Mike I love all the recipes..I am fermenting peppers now for this one...but my peppers have a white film on the top of them, but they dont smell unpleasant, in fact it smells like peppers. is this safe to use?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Scott, that is most like kahm yeast, which is harmless. You can scrape that off.
Deborah says
Being the concoction is being brought to a boil, what is the benefit of fermenting the jalapeños first?
Thank you!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Deborah, fermenting will mellow the flavors in ways you won't get without fermentation. Cooking them stops the fermenting process. You don't have to cook after if you don't want to. Just process and use. You may need to burp your containers occasionally, though. I hope you enjoy it.